NEWCOMEN HEREFORDS
*50 of 54 bulls sold to $12,000 twice, av $5340
A LARGE crowd of potential buyers turned up for the 14th annual on-property sale at Newcomen Herefords stud, Kanangra, Ensay.
The top price of $12,000 was paid twice by local Hereford breeders; with one Hereford and one Poll Hereford reaching the equal sale high.
Evan and Dot Newcomen, Ensay, bought Lot 3, Newcomen Laminex, a horned Hereford bull, with strong Sugarloaf genetics, infused with Dunoon, Newcomen, Silverton and Glendan Park bloodlines.
A rising two-year-old bull (born April 2015), Lot 3 was one of the heaviest bulls on the day, at 900kg. It presented in the top five per cent for scrotal size and 600-day weight gain estimated breeding value (EBV) – at 44cm and +94kg respectively; and in the top 10pc for eye muscle area at +4.6 square centimetres. It had a frame score of 7.5.
Mr Newcomen said he bought the bull because of its EBVs.
“His general appearance is good and his EBVs are very, very good, with a 94 for 600-day weight gain,” Mr Newcomen said.
The bull will be used to join mature cows.
The Newcomens bought a second bull, Lot 31, which was the same age and also a horned bull. They paid $5500 for the Mawarra Whistler son. They said they intended to join the lighter bull (785kg) to heifers.
The other top-priced bull was bought by Jim and Sue Gray, also of Ensay. Lot 6, Newcomen La Grande was a Poll Hereford bull that weighed 860kg and combined Russlyn, Yambro, Ardno and Newcomen genetics.
Also an April ’15-drop bull, Lot 6 had a scrotal size of 40cm and scored EBVs in the top 10pc for 400-day and 600-day weight gain, at +61kg and +88kg.
“I liked the look of him and we’ve used Russlyn genetics in the past and been happy with the progeny. And his EBVs and colour are terrific,” Mrs Gray said.
Lot 6 will be used for mature cows and the couple purchased a second bull to join to heifers – Lot 46 at $6500 – with strong Days and Allendale bloodlines.
There were a number of volume buyers on the day and a few bidders went home with four bulls. David, Heather, Brad and Jen Smith, Smith Graziers, Tambo Crossing, bought four bulls to a top of $6000. MT&JE McNamara, Corryong, bought four bulls to a top of $5500. Rhonda Treasure, Bairnsdale, started the sale off, purchasing Lot 1, and bought a total of four bulls to a top of $5000. Penny and Fraser Barry, Bindi Station, Bindi, bought four bulls to a top of $4000.
Michael Glasser, GTSM, was the auctioneer and Elders Bairnsdale conducted the sale.
